Egg-tester.



J. B. WARREN.

see TESTER. XPPLICATION FILED MAY 26, I916- RENEWED JAN. 8. I917- v Patented Feb. 20, 1917,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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1. B. WABREN. EGG TESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAYZ5,I916- RENEWED IAN. 8.1911- 1,216,63

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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J. B. WARREN.

EGG TESTER. APPITICATION FILED MAY 26.1916. RENEWED JAN. 8. I917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Jon-MB. WARREN, oE-BoL'roN,' AssAcHIIsETTs, AssIGNoR T BROADFIEBD POULTRY- I'INQ, =01 Bomom-uvrAssAoirUsETTs, 7A,. con ronewron oravmssecrrusnmrsa L GG:T SIEB.

. prsifi eti ie -et ersi va ent I BatentedgFebfif), 191 '7.

Application-filedlMayflfi, 191, Seria1 No. 100,710. Renewed January 8,1917. seri no. 141,341

' T01 all whom it may conc em v V "Be it "knownlthat I,*Jorr1v B.- WAB REN, a citizen of theUnited -States of" America,

and a residentofBolton, in the county of 7 Worcester and State of Massachusetts; have invented certain new" and useful Improve- I mentsin: Egg Testers,-of which the follow- I fThefinvention" consists primarily of a receptacle adapted to receive an egg tray. hav ng eggsln the var ous pockets thereof, sa1d eggs'being posltioned above devices adapted to successively project rays of' light through said eggs illuminate the interior thereof.

' The inventionifurther consistsin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will befully understood'by reference to the; description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given. e

*For the purpose 'of'illustrati'ng the invention, one preferred formthereofis illustrated in the drawings; this form having been found to give satisfactory andreli'ahle results, although it is tobe. understood that the various zinstrumentaliti es of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and that tthe invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and-organization of these "instrumentalities, as hreinshown and'described;

f ()fv the. drawings: I l r f F igurel represents a vertical 'section of an apparatus embodying j the principles of the present invention, the cutting'plane being on line 1"l oiiFi'gQ 2.

, Fig; 2 represents aplan :of the same with portions'thereof broken away, l

Fig. 3 represents a diagram "ofithefhghting system and' showing the switch mechanism in section. V i a a i ep ese taa'ene evation: ft apparatus on a reduced" scalewithma portion thereof shown in section, and, 1.

"Fig. 5 represents'a sectionofgthe switch.

Sim lar "characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings;

In'the drawings lO'is a rectangular frame having superimposed thereon a casing 11 provided'witha horizontal partition 12 having a plurality of openings 13- therethrough. The casing: 11 is supported upon inwardly extendingmembersld-securedto the inner wallof the frame 10; T-he frame 10 is pro vided with a horizontal partition 15 having a' plurality of openings 16 therethrough, the number ofsaid openings 16 corresponding with the number'of' openings 13- which are in axial alinement withi said openings16. Y Above each opening "16' is a socket 1-7, surrounded by cylindricalwall 18, said wall '18 being provided withia cone-shaped-hood v 19 extending through each "opening "13. Within each cone-shaped'hood 19 is a lens 20, and'beneath' each lens20 is an electric lamp 21 secured to the sockets 17. Each lamp 21 is surroundedby a reflector 22. in-' 3 terposed between the lamp 21 and the socket 17. These refiectors22 are adaptedto reflect the light'from the lamps 21 upon the lenses 20and thereby project the rays of light therefrom upwardly through the openings-23 in the upper ends of thehoods 19. The casing 11- is of such a .shape'as to receive an egg tray 24, 'in each of the pockets of which is centrally-disposed an egg-25.

Whenthe tray 24 has been placedwithm the casing 11 andsupported upon the hori zontal partition 12,lthe various eggs 25 in. the pockets of said tray will be positloned immediately above the lenses 20 and the rays of light'projected from the lamps 21 through these lenses-23=wi1l illuminate the interior oftthese eggs 25 and efl'ectuallydisclose the condition of the interior thereof.

The .crosspartitions 26 of the tray 24: haveltheupperportions thereof between the various pockets27 cut away, as indicated zit-28, so that 'the rear portions ofthe eggs 25 may be reflected-in the mirror 29 hinged.

This I 105 at the rearfwall of the casing 11'. mirror may be adjusted to-different angles with the upper surface -of-the tray 11=by meansQof the braces 31- pivotedto the tray 32v and having notches 33 either one jecting from the ends of the frame of the mirror 29.

7 Extending across the frame 10 beneath the horizontal partition 15 is a tubular member 36 open at both ends. This tubular member 36 is constructed of some non-conducting material, and is provided with a plurality of pairs of contact members 37 and 38, each pair of contact members 37 and 38 being .connected by wires 39 with one of the lamps 21. The contact members 37 and 38 extend partially through the tubular member 36 and said tubular member 36 is provided with a'depression 38 at the inner end of each contact member 37 and 38.

Extending through the tubular member 36 is a long tubular member 40 which is provided with radial. projecting members 4E1 movable along the oppositely disposed slots 7 42 in the tubular member 36, thereby preventing the rotation of said member 10 within said tubular member 36. Mounted in the slidable member 4:0 is a cross mem-' tending projections 45' which are adapted to move into the depressions 38 and make electric contact with each pair of contact members 37 and 38. g

The opposite ends of the resilient members as are connected by wires 46 to a screw plug 47 adapted to be inserted. in any suit-' able electric light socket. hen the plug 47 has been inserted into an electric light socket, the electricity therefrom will pass to the resilient members 44 and projecting members 45, and through theseprojecting members 45 to the contacts 37 and 38, and then through the various circuits 39 to the electric lamps 21.

After the slidable member 4L0 is normally positioned with the projecting members d5 at the. extreme rear end of the tubular member 36, that is, at the right hand end, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and said slidable member is then pulled toward the operator, electric contact is made with the various pairs of members 37 and 38, and each lamp 21 is successively illuminated and extinguished.

Preferably the wiring of the lamps is so arranged that the rear row of lamps will first be successively lit and as the end of that row. is reached, the next row will be illuminated starting from the opposite end, and so on until all of the lamps have been successively lit.

When it is desired to candle a case of eggs, the operator takes from the case a tray containing eggs, and without handling the eggs or removing them from the tray, said tray is placed in position within the casing 11, and the handle 18 of the slidable member 36 is seized and moved in the direction of the arrow a on Fig. 2 of the drawings.

When the first lamp 21 is lit the rays of light therefrom will be projected into the interior of the egg located above said lamp, and the operator will first look at the front "of the egg and observe the condition of its interior. .Immediately raising his eyes to the reflection of the egg in the mirror 29, he observes the condition of the interior of the egg as reflectedin saidimirror from the rear side of said egg. If'the egg appears to be in good condition the slidable member 36 is moved into position to light the next lamp and the same operation is repeated.

lVhenever a bad egg is discovered a cross is made upon the egg, and the candling operation is continued. The tray is then removed with all of the. eggs therein and new tray is placed within the casing 11 and the operation repeated. The eggs which have been condemned by the tester and have received his mark are subsequently removed and replaced by eggs found to be in good condition.

on which the lower strips 50 of the tray are adaptedto rest. It is obvious that when inserting the tray 24: inthe casing 11, the upperstrips 51fshould extend away from the observer toward the mirror 29, thereby making it possible for the observer to see a larger surface of the egg. 7 V

The tubular member 36 is made in two parts separated by small pieces 52 of fiber or other nonconducting material, these members separating the two halves and forming the two longitudinal slots 42 before referred to. The two halves are held together by means of the rings 53 andfid at the opposite ends of said tubular member 36.

This makes a'very effective arrangement for candling eggs, as the whole operation may be performed without contact with the eggs or necessitating the removal of these eggs from the tray. It is obvious that by ca-ndling the eggs while in the tray by means of such an apparatus as is herein shown and described there will be a great saving in time and labor.

It is believed that the many advantages of this invention will be fully'understood from the foregoing description. 1

, Having thus described 'my invention, I claim:

' 1. In an egg tester, a receptacle; a plu- 19,0

1,216,634 7 i V v v 8 rality of lamps therein; an opaque casing for each lamp provided With a small opening; a lens in said opening; means for pcsitioning a plurality of eggs above said lenses; and means for successively lighting said lamps.

2. In an egg tester, a receptacle; a plurality of lamps therein; an opaque casing for each lamp provided With a small opening; a lens in said opening; means for positioning a plurality of eggs above said lenses; and a movable member adapted in its movement to successively light said lamps.

3. In an egg tester, a. receptacle; a plurality of lamps therein; an opaque casing inclosing each lamp and provided at its top With a small opening; a lens in said opening; means for concentrating the rays of each lamp on a lens; a tubular member ex tending through said receptacle; a plurality. each pair of pairs of contacts in said tube, being electrically connected to the poles of a lamp; a member movable through said tube and provided with a pair of spring 'members adapted to engage each pair of contacts; and means for supplying an electric current to said spring members.

In an egg tester, a receptacle; a plurality of lamps therein; an opaque casing inclosing each lamp and provided at its top With a small opening; a lens in said opening; means for concentrating the rays of each lamp on a lens; a tubular member extending through said receptacle; a plurality of pairs of contacts in said tube, each pair being electrically connectedto the poles of a a lamp; a member movable through said tube and provided with a pair of spring members adapted to engage each pair of contacts; means for-supplying an electric current to said spring members; and means for preventing said movable member fromrotating relatively to said tubular member.

5. In an egg tester, a plurality of lamps; means for positioning an egg above each lamp; and means for successively lighting said lamps and illuminating the interior of said eggs.

6. In an egg tester, a plurality of lamps; means for positioning an egg above each lamp; means for successively lighting said lamps and illuminating the interior of said eggs; and means for reflecting the rear side of said eggs.

7. In an egg tester, a tray adapted to contain a plurality of eggs; means for successively illuminating the interiors of said of said eggs.

8. In an egg tester, a trayadapted toc0ntain a plurality of eggs; a casing to receive said tray; means forsuccessively illuminating the interior of said eggs; and a mirror hinged to said casing and adapted to reflect the eggs in said tray.

9. In an egg tester,a tray adapted to contain a plurality of eggs; a casing to receive said tray; means for successively illuminating the interior of said eggs; a mirror hinged to said casing and adapted to reflect the eggs in said tray; and means whereby the angle of said mirror to the top of said casing may bevaried.

10. In an egg tester, atray adapted to contain a plurality of eggs; a casing to receive said tray; an electric lamp beneath each egg; an electric circuit for each lamp; means for attaching an electric conductor to a'source of electric energy; and means for successively transferring the current from said conductor to each lamp circuit.

1-1. In an egg tester, a tray adapted tocontain a plurality of eggs; a casing t vreceive said tray; an electric lamp beneath each egg; an electric circuit for each "lamp;

means for attaching an electric conductor to a source of electric energy;a tubular member provided With a plurality of pairs of contact members, each pair being connected to a lamp circuit and a movable member Within said tubular member carrying the free end of said conductor and adapted in its movement to successively .make, an electric connection between said the free end of said conductor; resilient movable member members carried by said and electrically connected to said conductor adapted in their movement to succes sively make an electric connection With said contact members.

Signed by me at 4 Post Office Sq., Boston, Mass, this 22nd day of May, 1916.

JOHN B. WARREN.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD, I EDWARD F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 1 Y

tester, a. tray adapted to each pair being con- 

